How Do I Create a Custom Template in the KCM GRC Platform?

In addition to using the Managed Templates that KCM offers, you can create custom templates to meet your compliance (or other) objectives. 

In KCM GRC, the purpose of a template is to hold a set of requirements that you will work toward under a scope. You can create a template and then convert that template into a scope. This guide explains how to create a template and how to add a set of requirements to the template. You have three options for adding requirements to a template, use the jump links below to learn more. 

Create a New Template

• Import Requirements in Bulk
  • Formatting Your CSV File
• Map Existing Requirements
• Create Requirements One-By-One

Create a New Template

Begin by creating a new template. Follow the steps below:

1. From the navigation panel on the left-hand side of your platform, click Compliance > Templates.
2. Click the Create button at the top-right area of the page.
3. Add the following details:
   
   1. Name: Add a template name. The name should represent the type of requirements that you will add to the template or the objective of meeting the requirements in this template (once it is converted to a scope).
   2. Version: Enter the template's version or revision number. This information is for your own reference.
   3. Tag(s): (Optional) If you'd like, add one or more tags to group similar templates in your platform.
      • To create a new tag: Type one or more words in the field, then select enter on your keyboard to save the tag. Tags have a maximum of 25 characters, including spaces.
      • To select an existing tag: Click the drop-down menu to see existing tags. Click on a tag to add it to the template.
4. Click Create to save your new template.

Once you've created a template, the next step is to add requirements. There are three different options for adding requirements to a template. You can import requirements, map existing requirements, or create requirements. See the following subsections to learn more about each option.

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Import Requirements in Bulk

If you already have a set of requirements that you want to use, importing your requirements using a CSV file may be the fastest option. See below to learn how to format your requirements in a CSV file. 

Formatting Your CSV File

Be sure that your CSV file meets the following specifications: 

• The following header line is required in your CSV file, and it is case-sensitive: 
  • primary_id, sub_id, name, description 
• All fields are required.

See the table below to understand the purpose of each field, and the character limitations for each. 

When you're ready to import your requirements, follow the steps below:

1. From the Template Requirements section of the template page, click the Import button.
   
2. From the Import Requirement CSV window, click the Click to Upload button and select your CSV file.
3. You will see a preview of the requirements that will be imported. If you'd like to remove a requirement from the import, click the trash can icon, as shown below.
   
4. ID Separator: (Optional) Use this menu to select a character that the system will place between the Primary ID and Sub ID for each of your requirements. This is a visual preference. If you do not make a selection, the default ID separator will be used, as described below.
   Default ID Separators:
   
   • If your Primary IDs and Sub IDs only contain numbers: The default separator will be a period (.).
   • If your Primary IDs and Sub IDs contain numbers and letters: The default separator will be a space ( ).
5. Click the Add Requirements button to import the requirements to your template.

Once you have added all of the necessary requirements to this template you can convert it to a scope. See our Converting Templates to Scopes article for instructions.

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Map Existing Requirements

You can map requirements that already exist in your account, to your template. This includes:

• Requirements that you've added to your account from the View All Requirements page
• Requirements that you've added to other custom templates
• Requirements that are included in Managed Templates

Follow the steps below to map requirements to your template:

1. From the Template Requirements area of the template page, click the Map button.
   
2. In the Map Requirements to Template modal window, find the requirements that you want to map. See below for details.
   
   1. Select the checkboxes on the left-hand side of each requirement that you want to map to your template. 
   2. If the requirement belongs to a custom template or to a managed template, the Templates column will list the applicable template name or names. 
   3. Use the Name or Description search fields to search for a specific requirement. 
3. When you're finished, scroll to the bottom of the window and click Done Mapping.
   

Once you have added all of the necessary requirements to this template you can convert it to a scope. See our Converting Templates to Scopes article for instructions.

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Create Requirements One-By-One

If you'd like to create template requirements (or other objectives) in your account, follow the steps below:

1. From the Template Requirements area of the page, click the Create button.
   
2. Add details for your requirement, as outlined below:
   
   1. Name: Add a name to identify your requirement.
   2. Description: Describe the purpose of the requirement. The requirement description can include objectives, processes, or procedures that need to be implemented and documented in order to meet the requirement.
   3. Primary ID and Sub ID: Use these fields together to specify the order in which your requirements are listed in the template (and in scopes converted from the template). Once the requirement is created, the Primary ID and Sub ID are combined into one Requirement ID. KCM GRC uses natural sort order to order Primary IDs and Sub IDs. For more information, please see: Wikipedia: Natural sort order. 
      
      Tip: You can use numbers, letters, and special characters in these fields. For example, when we create KCM GRC's Managed Templates, the Primary IDs and Sub IDs usually reference the section and subsection that the requirement is located in, within the respective framework.
   4. ID Separator: (Optional) Use this menu to select a character that the system will place between the Primary ID and Sub ID for each of your requirements. This is a visual preference. If you do not make a selection, the default ID separator will be used, as described below.
      
      Default ID Separators:
      If your Primary IDs and Sub IDs only contain numbers: The default separator will be a period (.).
      If your Primary IDs and Sub IDs contain numbers and letters: The default separator will be a space ( ).
3. When you've finished adding the requirement details, click the Create button.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each requirement that you want to add to your template.

Once you have added all of the necessary requirements to this template you can convert it to a scope. See our Converting Templates to Scopes article for instructions.

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